@GildanBladeborn - I'm not looking to reopen the debate on the legality of Un- cards in constructed decks, but I am obligated to post the following:
-Silver bordered (Un-) cards are NOT illegal for deck construction. Nowhere in the rules does it state that you can't use silver bordered cards in deck construction.
-It is only in the TOURNAMENT DOCUMENT that it states that you aren't allowed to use silver bordered cards in (insert format here.)
-With the above valid statements, you don't have to "house rule them in." In fact, most people have "house ruled them out" by default, opting instead to conform to a particular format as outlined in the tournament document. This is why you have to get your group's consent before bringing silver bordered wackiness to the table.
-Lastly, consider this: why even would the product exist if it was intended to be "banned in constructed" as you put it? Surely if it was intended as a joke, Wizards could have picked a cheaper one than mass producing a set of "unplayable cards?"
@Stoogeslap, @Ryperior74 - Yes there have been 7 spoilers to date. The five basic lands, Steamflogger Boss, and Sword of Dungeons & Dragons (and ONLY Sword of D&D). The HASCON exclusives of Nerf War and Grimlock are not Not NOT going to be "product placement" cards in Unstable. (Not that I wouldn't be happy for them) and the ONLY black bordered cards in this set will be the BASIC LANDS and STEAMFLOGGER BOSS. Nothing else.
And the reason that he is black bordered is because he was already printed with a black bordered card in future sight. This is also why you won't see any "silver bordered storm crows, squires, tibalts, etc." If it's been done in black border it must STAY in black border. Otherwise people have sh*fits about the "legality of silver bordered in constructed formats."
Edit: One last bit of info I left out: according to Maro, since the Steamflogger Boss and basic lands occupy the same sheet/slot that you will occasionally get a Steamflogger Boss in place of a basic land.
So how do I get my hands on these? (Besides the obvious answers of RPTQ and GP) will they be available as entry bonuses that I can 0-1 drop with a deck assembled from IXALAN chaff? I doubt they'd make it a format that caters to my predominantly casual/kitchen table/EDH/limited preferences, or do they? Mostly I want that Mutavault for my 5cc Ur-Dragon Changeling EDH deck without paying through the nose for it.
Is this based on another card like the others usually are?
Loosely, Phyrexian Splicer, maybe? It's probably just "we had this cool idea, and we can only do it in silver border".
Some past cards have been based on real cards, but not all of them. I wouldn't even say "usually" - 5/12, at a glance.
Fruitcake Elemental - ??? (Darksteel Colossus? But then anything with Indestructible could be said to be a DSC mimic...)
Gifts Given - duh, Gifts Ungiven
Evil Presents - Evil Presence (Though homophones, they don't do anything similar. I'd probably say a Reverse Control Magic)
Seasons Beatings - ??? (I think this was just a reason to drop a clever Name pun.)
Snow Mercy - No Mercy (But with White's way of dealing with problem creatures.)
Yule Ooze - ??? (Another name pun. Say this one five times fast!)
Naughty//Nice - ??? (Any split card? Again, another Name Dropper here.)
Stocking Tiger - Stalking Tiger (Again, homophones. Nothing similar between the cards besides cat.)
Mishra's Toy Workshop - Uh... Not sure here (sarcasm) Actually has similar use to regular workshop. Taps for 3, restricted use.
Goblin Sleigh Ride - ??? (Another homophonic name dropper. Goblin Slay Ride makes sense when you read what the card does. Bonus points if it's a Goblin riding...)
Thopter Pie Network - Thopter Spy Network (Same deal as Mishra's Toy Workshop. Even has similar Functionality.)
So now that this year's card has been revealed, I'm looking forward to either a White or Green Promo next year. (Assuming they keep the trend going; First Five - WUBRG, Gold, Split Card, Artifact, Land, Repeat.)
Last year's is like $25, and was showing up randomly in target packs IIRC. No reason this one wouldn't also be around that price if you really want it.
Stocking Tiger is the promo from 4 years ago. Last Year's was Thopter Pie Network the year before that was Goblin Sleigh Ride and before that was Mishra's Toy Workshop.
I for one am looking forward to picking one of these up for my silver bordered collection (featuring the HASCON promos and all (most, missing Evil Presents) of the Happy Holidays cards.) I hope to get one on the cheap since I will also need to sock some money into foiling a set of Unstable.
Now I am really scared that the pirate themed planeswalker deck is going to have Vraska as the cover card and is going to be Black Green, when pirates have nothing to do with green. If that was the case, it means that they are building the deck around the planeswalker, not around the theme, in which case I just wished they went back to theme decks. The worst part is, I can't think of any blue, red, or blue red planeswalker that can be the cover card of a pirate deck.
Unless you're asserting Vraska will get two cards in one block like Sarkhan in Tarkir there is absolutely zero chance of her being the face card of a Rivals of Ixalan Planeswalker deck. Those cards are exclusively jank variants of planeswalkers that are in THAT set.
I am a Johnny/Spike/Vorthos/Melvin, and I approve this message.
I am familiar with most of these terms,
but what is a "melvin"?
As for this card, I think it will be a sleeper EDH hit,
not unlike Burnished Hart.
Of course tribal decks will love it,
but so will nongreen decks that want to power their commander out ASAP
(Kaalia, Gisela, Zur, etc).
I'm glad you asked. I'm a little hazy on the details, but Melvin is the opposite of a Vorthos, strictly speaking. You know that Vorthos is actually John, but to avoid confusion with Johnny/Jenny, he chose to use his 20th level Wizard's name instead. He is someone who enjoys the Magic Storyline and setting and is basically a flavor nut. The kind of guy that'll only play one of each legend since there is only one in existence. (And again, there's many shades to it, if you're interested Maro did a whole writeup on Magic mothership.)
Melvin is someone who enjoys the mechanics of the game. Moreso than Johnny who likes to see how the cards interact, Melvin loves the rules that govern the game. Consider a Top Down design for a set to be Vorthos, and a Bottom Up set to be Melvin, and you'd hit it pretty close.
However, Vorthos and Melvin don't factor into the Psychographic profiles since they are satisfied just by the game simply being printed. Each world has a story, flavor and art which satisfies Vorthos and each set has new mechanics and rules for those mechanics which makes Melvin happy.
On topic (before I get scolded): I rather like the Mana rock. It may not necessarily make the cut, as alot of new tribal cards don't these days, but I might test it in my Changeling EDH deck.
Post Scriptum - The following is the article where you can read about the Psychographic profiles if you happen to be interested.
And @schindar and @knto you are kidding yourselves if you think you aren't Spikes. Read the article and alot of what is under Spikes matches, almost verbatim, what you've posted here. (And it's nothing to be ashamed of. Its how you play the game.)
Edit: I felt obliged to edit and correct my stance given my recent rereading of above said article.
Vorthos' "real name is actually John, but since there's already a “Johnny” in the mix, he opted to go with the name of his 16th level half-elven ranger/warmage." Taken directly from the article.
And Timmy/Tammy can be a power gamer, but is first and foremost playing to experience something. Johnny/Jenny can be a combo player, but first and foremost plays to express themselves. And Spike may or may not be a highly competitive gamer, but they play to prove something. Give it some thought, read the article, redefine your gaming experience!
Edit 2: Okay, okay, this is the last one I swear it! I felt compelled to search out the Vorthos/Melvin article for those interested. Below is the link. Have fun educating yourself!
If anything is skewed I think it's your perception of spikes. Wizards classifies players into the three types of jonny timmy and spike. In general jonnies get excited about single cards. They have a favorite card with a splashy effect and they want to cast it. Timmies enjoy interactions between cards and the rules. They tend to gravitate towards things that feel "combo-y", but usually value uniqueness so they won't be caught playing splinter twin like combos. Spikes like interactions between players and competition. As magic is an interactive game this means they are going to gravitate towards decks like Jund where there are a lot of opportunities to interact. This being said everyone has their negative attributes. Jonny complains when you kill his beg dude or when he loses before casting it. In EDH he may get mad because you keep targeting him when he drops a praetor. Timmy complains about net decking and can be snobby to anyone that picks up a known archetype. He often is playing magic like it is solitaire and really just wants an opponent so they can marvel at his sweet deck. Spike gets mad if he feels like a game is one sided and he doesn't get to interact. This will lead him to be critical of casual players who don't put up a fight, or make him switch the new "best deck" if he is losing.
Not everyone falls into one category and not everyone has the negative characteristics of each. I for example am a Timmy-Spike, which is awkward because I have trouble finding decks that are interactive and competitive but not just a pile of random chase rares. I am having the most fun when I play competitively, but I often find the best decks boring to pilot either because they are too dominant or because they are too linear.
I am not a huge fan of this card for example because I don't like tapping out on turn 2 and would rather hold open removal, or I would prefer something had a less common ability. I'm not a huge fan of tap:add mana and especially when that mana can only go towards a fatty.
Thank you very much for the laugh!
Now allow me to correct your skewed interpretation of Wizards' Psychographic profiles.
You have some of the basic parts there, but Timmy/Tammy is the Power Gamer which is drawn to large spells and big effects, cost-be-damned. They play 10 games of Magic, and lose 9 out of 10 but win the 10th game by landing and smashing with a Darksteel Colossus or Eternal Dominion. Timmy/Tammy is happy.
Johnny/Jenny is the Combo player. They aren't restricted to only "unique" 10+ card combos. They just like the intricacies of the game and how the pieces play together. Johnny/Jenny plays 10 games of Magic, loses 9 but wins the 10th by assembling his 3x Changeling Hero + Drowner of Secrets combo (true story, FNM 2008) he is happy (and indeed I was)
Spike is the tournament gamer. They value efficient cards that "stand the test of time" and are horribly competitive, even going so far as to borrow a deck or netdeck. They value the experience of playing (and often winning). Spike plays 10 games, wins 9 but lost the last one even though he feels that he should have won it with his superior deck, he is not happy.
And there you have it. My mini-seminar on Wizards' Psychographic profiles.
Disclaimer: these are the most BASIC of the profiles definitions, but in combining them and the other profiles (not Psychographic) Melvin and Vorthos, you have a varied player base that can encompass any and all interpretations of this wonderful game (and actually can be applied to a great many other products as well, besides.)
I am a Johnny/Spike/Vorthos/Melvin, and I approve this message.
(Secretly glad that we have a real design team for Unstable and not just fan submissions to beat me into submission...)
Edit: As a side note, those that love the tongue in cheek humor that is Unhinged, look for a board game called Millennium Blades by Level 99 games. It has alot of tongue in cheek humor and even has a JTMS parody called: Chase the Price Sculptor. Additionally, my Avatar is a cropped image from an upcoming promo expansion for the game that has a MtG nod set complete with Chaos Orb nod (Avatar).
If you want another tidbit, there are a few cards that have alternate foil versions (just minor things, a few cards have things they missed while printing the foil such as AWOL missing the top of the mountain in the foil printing) and a few have unique watermarks only really visible in the foil (Shoe Tree had a shoe watermark in the foil, Artist Consultation has a paintbrush watermark)
And I trust that you also own the "secret card" Super Secret Tech? Part of why I foiled out (most of) my collection.
Edit: Oh and if there is any confusion on card interactions, Maro has written an awesome article dubbed the FAQTIWDAWCC that serves as a release document. It also erratas Spatula of the Ages to put any SILVER BORDERED permanent onto the battlefield.
What is the "secret card" Super Secret Tech? I have a foil one that cost a pretty penny for a card I won't play, but it is pretty! Or is there yet another cool version of it? No stores around here had it, so ordered it via online.
Nope that's the one. Just the one foiled printing of it. But it's number 141/140, so it's "secret." And I make full use of it in my mostly foiled UNEDH. Funniest thing when I pull it out because EDH decks are known for being "pimped out" so alot of things get cost reduction and alot of things get the anthem boost; ya know, since it applies to ALL premium (foiled) spells/creatures.
If you want another tidbit, there are a few cards that have alternate foil versions (just minor things, a few cards have things they missed while printing the foil such as AWOL missing the top of the mountain in the foil printing) and a few have unique watermarks only really visible in the foil (Shoe Tree had a shoe watermark in the foil, Artist Consultation has a paintbrush watermark)
And I trust that you also own the "secret card" Super Secret Tech? Part of why I foiled out (most of) my collection.
Edit: Oh and if there is any confusion on card interactions, Maro has written an awesome article dubbed the FAQTIWDAWCC that serves as a release document. It also erratas Spatula of the Ages to put any SILVER BORDERED permanent onto the battlefield.
I am ridiculously excited for this set to be released! I've only been playing for about 7 months and after I saw my first card from Unhinged I just thought they were hilarious and wanted to embrace the "collector's" side of the game. I just finished collecting all the Unhinged and Unglued cards. Just saving my pennies to get the lands for each set now and have them all in a binder. I will put Unstable in its own binder, since it is a larger collection. I've never seen anyone play the cards but would love to get some extra fun at FNM with all of us playing a few cards from either/both sets. They would not have made any sense to me when I first started, but now all the jokes make sense to me and a fun way to honor the game!
At present I have dismantled the deck and put it back into it's respective binders, but I will gladly rebuild it anytime. It never fails to impress people, and the only ones it doesn't are the ones looking to shuffle up their turn 4, infinite combo, hyper-competitive mono-colored decks and piss on everyone's fun.
That said, I've gotten a handle on all but one of the holiday promos and run a majority of them in my UNEDH. Funniest thing is getting an opponent with my Gifts Given. And while hardeer to pull off because of the double cost (I have very strict rules for my UNEDH - No black border except for basic lands) I would like to one day Naughty//Nice a card from my deck into someone's hand. Enter the Dungeon to my black/X opponent, Yet Another Aether Vortex to a red player. Fun stuff. I look forward to being able to cycle out less funny/usable cards for some of the fun stuff in Unstable (already going to try to get my hands on the HASCON promo set, hope it's not a billion dollars!)
And for clarification, yes, I know that ONLY the sword is in Unstable. Part of why I want to get my hands on the set if possible.
Now for my own (reasonable) wish fulfillment. I would love to see a card in the vein of Who//What//When//Where//Why but instead as a flip/transform/morph/fuse/aftermath amalgam that looks exactly as complex and fun as it sounds to me. Mostly I just can't wait to see what jokes are in the set with a cohesive design and how that cohesive design impacts the set's creative design.
And I'm looking forward to another hidden message. (Google it)
They start on the 13th and conclude Thanksgiving day (around there)
-Silver bordered (Un-) cards are NOT illegal for deck construction. Nowhere in the rules does it state that you can't use silver bordered cards in deck construction.
-It is only in the TOURNAMENT DOCUMENT that it states that you aren't allowed to use silver bordered cards in (insert format here.)
-With the above valid statements, you don't have to "house rule them in." In fact, most people have "house ruled them out" by default, opting instead to conform to a particular format as outlined in the tournament document. This is why you have to get your group's consent before bringing silver bordered wackiness to the table.
-Lastly, consider this: why even would the product exist if it was intended to be "banned in constructed" as you put it? Surely if it was intended as a joke, Wizards could have picked a cheaper one than mass producing a set of "unplayable cards?"
@Stoogeslap, @Ryperior74 - Yes there have been 7 spoilers to date. The five basic lands, Steamflogger Boss, and Sword of Dungeons & Dragons (and ONLY Sword of D&D). The HASCON exclusives of Nerf War and Grimlock are not Not NOT going to be "product placement" cards in Unstable. (Not that I wouldn't be happy for them) and the ONLY black bordered cards in this set will be the BASIC LANDS and STEAMFLOGGER BOSS. Nothing else.
And the reason that he is black bordered is because he was already printed with a black bordered card in future sight. This is also why you won't see any "silver bordered storm crows, squires, tibalts, etc." If it's been done in black border it must STAY in black border. Otherwise people have sh*fits about the "legality of silver bordered in constructed formats."
Edit: One last bit of info I left out: according to Maro, since the Steamflogger Boss and basic lands occupy the same sheet/slot that you will occasionally get a Steamflogger Boss in place of a basic land.
Does anyone know when these get mailed out? I need to know when to start haunting eBay for this.
Fruitcake Elemental - ??? (Darksteel Colossus? But then anything with Indestructible could be said to be a DSC mimic...)
Gifts Given - duh, Gifts Ungiven
Evil Presents - Evil Presence (Though homophones, they don't do anything similar. I'd probably say a Reverse Control Magic)
Seasons Beatings - ??? (I think this was just a reason to drop a clever Name pun.)
Snow Mercy - No Mercy (But with White's way of dealing with problem creatures.)
Yule Ooze - ??? (Another name pun. Say this one five times fast!)
Naughty//Nice - ??? (Any split card? Again, another Name Dropper here.)
Stocking Tiger - Stalking Tiger (Again, homophones. Nothing similar between the cards besides cat.)
Mishra's Toy Workshop - Uh... Not sure here (sarcasm) Actually has similar use to regular workshop. Taps for 3, restricted use.
Goblin Sleigh Ride - ??? (Another homophonic name dropper. Goblin Slay Ride makes sense when you read what the card does. Bonus points if it's a Goblin riding...)
Thopter Pie Network - Thopter Spy Network (Same deal as Mishra's Toy Workshop. Even has similar Functionality.)
So now that this year's card has been revealed, I'm looking forward to either a White or Green Promo next year. (Assuming they keep the trend going; First Five - WUBRG, Gold, Split Card, Artifact, Land, Repeat.)
Stocking Tiger is the promo from 4 years ago. Last Year's was Thopter Pie Network the year before that was Goblin Sleigh Ride and before that was Mishra's Toy Workshop.
I for one am looking forward to picking one of these up for my silver bordered collection (featuring the HASCON promos and all (most, missing Evil Presents) of the Happy Holidays cards.) I hope to get one on the cheap since I will also need to sock some money into foiling a set of Unstable.
Btw, I'm a silver bordered nut.
Umm... Nissa from HOU would like a word with you.
This is supposed to go on a creature, into your opponent's face. DUH!
I'm glad you asked. I'm a little hazy on the details, but Melvin is the opposite of a Vorthos, strictly speaking. You know that Vorthos is actually John, but to avoid confusion with Johnny/Jenny, he chose to use his 20th level Wizard's name instead. He is someone who enjoys the Magic Storyline and setting and is basically a flavor nut. The kind of guy that'll only play one of each legend since there is only one in existence. (And again, there's many shades to it, if you're interested Maro did a whole writeup on Magic mothership.)
Melvin is someone who enjoys the mechanics of the game. Moreso than Johnny who likes to see how the cards interact, Melvin loves the rules that govern the game. Consider a Top Down design for a set to be Vorthos, and a Bottom Up set to be Melvin, and you'd hit it pretty close.
However, Vorthos and Melvin don't factor into the Psychographic profiles since they are satisfied just by the game simply being printed. Each world has a story, flavor and art which satisfies Vorthos and each set has new mechanics and rules for those mechanics which makes Melvin happy.
On topic (before I get scolded): I rather like the Mana rock. It may not necessarily make the cut, as alot of new tribal cards don't these days, but I might test it in my Changeling EDH deck.
Post Scriptum - The following is the article where you can read about the Psychographic profiles if you happen to be interested.
Article
And @schindar and @knto you are kidding yourselves if you think you aren't Spikes. Read the article and alot of what is under Spikes matches, almost verbatim, what you've posted here. (And it's nothing to be ashamed of. Its how you play the game.)
Edit: I felt obliged to edit and correct my stance given my recent rereading of above said article.
Vorthos' "real name is actually John, but since there's already a “Johnny” in the mix, he opted to go with the name of his 16th level half-elven ranger/warmage." Taken directly from the article.
And Timmy/Tammy can be a power gamer, but is first and foremost playing to experience something. Johnny/Jenny can be a combo player, but first and foremost plays to express themselves. And Spike may or may not be a highly competitive gamer, but they play to prove something. Give it some thought, read the article, redefine your gaming experience!
Edit 2: Okay, okay, this is the last one I swear it! I felt compelled to search out the Vorthos/Melvin article for those interested. Below is the link. Have fun educating yourself!
Article II
Thank you very much for the laugh!
Now allow me to correct your skewed interpretation of Wizards' Psychographic profiles.
You have some of the basic parts there, but Timmy/Tammy is the Power Gamer which is drawn to large spells and big effects, cost-be-damned. They play 10 games of Magic, and lose 9 out of 10 but win the 10th game by landing and smashing with a Darksteel Colossus or Eternal Dominion. Timmy/Tammy is happy.
Johnny/Jenny is the Combo player. They aren't restricted to only "unique" 10+ card combos. They just like the intricacies of the game and how the pieces play together. Johnny/Jenny plays 10 games of Magic, loses 9 but wins the 10th by assembling his 3x Changeling Hero + Drowner of Secrets combo (true story, FNM 2008) he is happy (and indeed I was)
Spike is the tournament gamer. They value efficient cards that "stand the test of time" and are horribly competitive, even going so far as to borrow a deck or netdeck. They value the experience of playing (and often winning). Spike plays 10 games, wins 9 but lost the last one even though he feels that he should have won it with his superior deck, he is not happy.
And there you have it. My mini-seminar on Wizards' Psychographic profiles.
Disclaimer: these are the most BASIC of the profiles definitions, but in combining them and the other profiles (not Psychographic) Melvin and Vorthos, you have a varied player base that can encompass any and all interpretations of this wonderful game (and actually can be applied to a great many other products as well, besides.)
I am a Johnny/Spike/Vorthos/Melvin, and I approve this message.
Edit: As a side note, those that love the tongue in cheek humor that is Unhinged, look for a board game called Millennium Blades by Level 99 games. It has alot of tongue in cheek humor and even has a JTMS parody called: Chase the Price Sculptor. Additionally, my Avatar is a cropped image from an upcoming promo expansion for the game that has a MtG nod set complete with Chaos Orb nod (Avatar).
Nope that's the one. Just the one foiled printing of it. But it's number 141/140, so it's "secret." And I make full use of it in my mostly foiled UNEDH. Funniest thing when I pull it out because EDH decks are known for being "pimped out" so alot of things get cost reduction and alot of things get the anthem boost; ya know, since it applies to ALL premium (foiled) spells/creatures.
And I trust that you also own the "secret card" Super Secret Tech? Part of why I foiled out (most of) my collection.
Edit: Oh and if there is any confusion on card interactions, Maro has written an awesome article dubbed the FAQTIWDAWCC that serves as a release document. It also erratas Spatula of the Ages to put any SILVER BORDERED permanent onto the battlefield.
At present I have dismantled the deck and put it back into it's respective binders, but I will gladly rebuild it anytime. It never fails to impress people, and the only ones it doesn't are the ones looking to shuffle up their turn 4, infinite combo, hyper-competitive mono-colored decks and piss on everyone's fun.
That said, I've gotten a handle on all but one of the holiday promos and run a majority of them in my UNEDH. Funniest thing is getting an opponent with my Gifts Given. And while hardeer to pull off because of the double cost (I have very strict rules for my UNEDH - No black border except for basic lands) I would like to one day Naughty//Nice a card from my deck into someone's hand. Enter the Dungeon to my black/X opponent, Yet Another Aether Vortex to a red player. Fun stuff. I look forward to being able to cycle out less funny/usable cards for some of the fun stuff in Unstable (already going to try to get my hands on the HASCON promo set, hope it's not a billion dollars!)
And for clarification, yes, I know that ONLY the sword is in Unstable. Part of why I want to get my hands on the set if possible.
Now for my own (reasonable) wish fulfillment. I would love to see a card in the vein of Who//What//When//Where//Why but instead as a flip/transform/morph/fuse/aftermath amalgam that looks exactly as complex and fun as it sounds to me. Mostly I just can't wait to see what jokes are in the set with a cohesive design and how that cohesive design impacts the set's creative design.
And I'm looking forward to another hidden message. (Google it)